Grant Proposals.

Grant proposals are in-depth plans that seek monetary sponsorship from external funders. Many public health projects are funded through governmental or foundational grants. Diagram 1 below illustrates the general grant writing process (1).

Diagram 1: The Grant Writing Process.

Grant Proposal diagram

Source: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center (1)

Writing the Grant

While each funder has different requirements for a proposal, there are some general tips that can be applied to all grants. The most important aspect to writing a grant is to precisely adhere to the guidelines and answer all required questions (1); many funders will not review proposals that do not strictly follow the instructions.

It is crucial to be both specific and realistic while answering questions and designing the project (1). Funders want to understand exactly how the project will address gaps in care or provide a service to the target population; make sure the grant proposal delineates a clear link between the project design and expected outcomes.

Tailoring the grant to the funder also includes writing to a specific audience. It is safe to assume that the reader will be knowledgeable in the general topic addressed in the proposal. However, the reader may not be knowledgeable about your proposed program design (1). Keep in mind that the funding organization has its own mission, goals, and principles; these should be included as much as possible in the proposal.

General Structure

Headings, subheadings, and other organizational strategies can help to clarify the proposal and guide the reader through the proposal, thus increasing the chances of acceptance. For longer proposals, a table of contents is necessary (1). In addition, each funder will have a precise format to follow, but there are some general components included in grant proposals (1):

  1. Title page.
  2. Abstract.
  3. Introduction.
  4. Literature review.
  5. Project narrative.
  6. Personnel.
  7. Budget and budget justification.
  8. Timeline.

Additional Resources

For more information on grant writing, visit the following resources:

References

  1. Grant Proposals (or Give me the money!) [Internet]. The Writing Center. [cited 2015 Mar 25]. Available from: http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/grant-proposals-or-give-me-the-money/